New Trans Studies Journal Seeks to Explore the Realities of Trans Life

With all the horrible news that keeps assaulting the trans community daily, I’m pleased to bring you some good news for a change. 

Northwestern University Libraries and the Center for Applied Transgender Studies are joining forces to bring us a new trans studies journal, The Bulletin of Applied Transgender Studies. Headed up by scholar TJ Billard and featuring an all-trans edit staff, the journal will be the first publication of its kind from Northwestern University Libraries and one of now four (4) total trans studies journals in the country.

“There’s nowhere to publish about the material realities of trans life, especially not open access,” Billard stated in a press release. “We have an important opportunity to change what the trans studies landscape looks like and set the publishing standard for other universities.”

In an academic landscape where big-name University presses are putting out nonsense like Holly Lawford-Smith’s “Gender Critical”, trans studies are more important than ever, especially when the studies in question are created by us and for us.

“The kind of work we’re doing is part of increasing trans representation in the academy and being available as a resource to the scholars doing this work,” Billard said. “It’s also about the importance of rigorous and verified trans knowledge that can inform public policy right now. As anti-transgender advocates peddling misinformation are trying to shape policy, it’s our responsibility as academics to shape it in helpful ways.”

The Bulletin of Applied Transgender Studies will publish in quarterly installments. The first issue dropped yesterday: check it out here.